An operator of a firearm such as a pistol or rifle may attach a suppressor to a barrel of the firearm (or the suppressor may be a part of the barrel) so as to reduce the amount of concussive blast, noise, and visible muzzle flash generated by firing. Suppressors primarily reduce these effects by slowing and/or cooling the escaping propellant gas. When fired rapidly, suppressors can become very hot, thereby posing a safety risk and/or adversely affecting the accuracy and/or reliability of the weapon.
For example, although an operator is not typically expected to touch a suppressor during use, accidental contact between the user or other objects and a hot suppressor may cause injury or damage. For automatic and semiautomatic weapons (such as on carbines, infantry rifles and machine guns) an overheated suppressor may be a detrimental safety hazard during transitions to a secondary weapon, such as a pistol, or may pose a risk to nearby personnel or equipment, due to a risk of accidental contact. In the field, for example, an operator may drop a rifle having a suppressor to let it hang by a sling, and begin using a pistol, inadvertently allowing the rifle to contact his or her clothing or person. These safety hazards have become more acute since there has been a rise in suppressor usage to mitigate blast effects in urban combat which, by its nature, brings operators into close proximity with each other.
An overheated suppressor also affects the accuracy of sighting due to distortions in the air above the suppressor. Specifically, a mirage effect (refraction) is created by the heat of the suppressor during use, which can cause distortion in sighting, particularly when using telescopic sights. The mirage effect may be most acute in precision applications and/or long-distance shooting, where even minute changes can have a significant impact on shot placement.
Moreover, operators who need to tighten a suppressor that has loosened under fire or to remove a suppressor that is damaged or no longer needed must provide a heat resistant barrier to even touch the device.
To address the above problems, firearm suppressor covers have been provided. The currently-available covers include silicone, foam, or other relatively insulative materials that a user wraps around the suppressor and tightens using ties or other fasteners. These covers, while suitable up to certain temperatures (or effective rates of fire), are not suitable for higher temperatures (or higher rates of fire), and are prone to melting or other heat-related damage, such as charring.
Currently-available suppressor covers may also be prone to loosening and/or sliding off a suppressor altogether, such as after repeated firings. For example, weapon recoil, material relaxation (such as softening when heated), thermal expansion (e.g. polymer covers expand more at a given temperature than metallic suppressors), and/or suppressor designs having a smooth cylindrical exterior all play a role in exacerbating the problem of suppressor covers loosening and/or sliding off a suppressor.
Furthermore, currently-available covers may “over insulate” the suppressor, thereby increasing the operating temperature of the suppressor, which may lead to premature failure from more abusive heat cycling over time, as well as immediate failure due to overheating.
Accordingly, a system and method to address the shortfalls of the present technology and to provide other new and innovative features is needed.